The IELTS cue card Water Sports is a common topic in Speaking Part 2. It appears most years and is in use at the moment. It’s not an easy topic if you haven’t prepared for it. Below you can see some useful ideas for this topic, vocabulary and a model answer.
IELTS Cue Card Water Sports
Talk about a water sport you would like to try
- what it is
- where and how you would do it
- what equipment would you need
- and why you would like to try it
Examples of Water Sports
Below are some examples of popular water sports:
- canoeing
- kayaking
- surfing
- windsurfing
- water skiing
- diving
- snorkelling
- boating
- yachting
- fishing
- water volleyball
- swimming
As you can see, some of these options might not be considered a water sport, such as swimming (for enjoyment) and fishing (for enjoyment). But that’s ok and still acceptable to use for your talk. To expand your talk, you could branch into other things people do around water or on the beach, such as building sandcastles, beach volleyball, going to a water park etc.
Water Sports Vocabulary:
- wetsuit
- swimming costume
- bikini
- sunscreen
- sun hat
- baseball cap
- waves
- choppy / gentle waves
- waves lapping against the shore, calm water
- crystal clear water
- strong currents in the sea
- weak swimmers get pulled out to sea by the current
- they need to stay close to the shoreline
- high tide / low tide
- sand
- sand dunes
- seaweed / kelp
- lagoon / lake / bay
- reef / coral
- life jacket
- armbands
- water floats
- inflatable waterbed
- jellyfish
- wind surfing: controlling wind, balancing on a board, adjusting the sail to control direction, gusts of wind, learn manoeuvres, take hold of the mast with both hands
- canoeing and kayaking: sitting in a small water craft, slimline craft and easily manoeuvrable, propelling yourself through the water with a paddle, legs stretched out in front, life jacket, flat water, white water
- diving: oxygen tanks, mask, regulator, fins, wetsuit, weights, sink neath the waves, swimming pool, open water, claustrophobia, sharks, stingray, fish, reef
- fishing: line rod, hook, fly, weights, casting the line out, fly fishing, bait casting, spinning, angling
Feelings:
- I hate water going up my nose, I can’t stand water going over my head.
- I feel uncomfortable submerging my head below the surface of the water.
- I have a a fear of drowning.
- I love floating on the surface of the water.
- I enjoy the the feeling of being weightless.
- I adore diving into the waves.
- I’m scared the current will pull me out to sea.
Model Answer: IELTS Water Sports Part 2 Speaking
Below is a model answer to the cue card above about water sports.
I’d like to talk about kayaking. It’s something I’ve never tried before but I’ve heard loads of people talking about it. In fact, my friend recently went to the Vietnam and kayaked around Ha Long Bay, which is a gorgeous bay spotted with mountains that sprout up out of the water. She showed me pictures of her and her boyfriend kayaking around the crystal blue waters. It looked magical. They were both in the same kayak, cutting through the still waters completely at peace with the world. If I had a chance to try kayaking, it would probably be in a local river where the water is calm rather than choppy. The company who offer it is really keen on safety so they provide really strong crafts and lifejackets, as well as training in necessary safety measures. From the pictures I’ve seen, you get a single kayak for one person which you sit in. You use a paddle to move the kayak in the water. You also use the paddle to break and slow down if you go too fast. One of the reasons I want to try it is because I like being around water but I don’t like being submersed in water, as you would for swimming. So, kayaking is a perfect compromise for me. Some people told me I should try diving because you don’t get wet when you wear a wetsuit. But I get claustrophobic and I think the feeling of being under the water with only a tank of oxygen would make me panic. But if you asked me what I would prefer doing if I was on a beach holiday, it would be to just stroll up and down the beach collecting shells and driftwood. I much prefer looking at the sea, than being in it. But, I’ll see how I feel on my next holiday.
Comments and Tips:
- You can see that it isn’t necessary to talk about only one thing , even though you are asked about only one. If you don’t know much about something, you can talk about it a little bit and then introduce other things. So, in this talk, the topic was kayaking, but the speaker also mentioned diving and general beach activities. This is a good strategy for IELTS Speaking Part 2.
- Create a story – you can go into detail about someone else’s experience. It’s a great way to give descriptions: crystal blue water, mountains that sprout up out of the water etc.
- If your talk is about a sport, always try to mention equipment even if it isn’t asked for on the cue card. It’s good vocabulary to show the examiner. If you don’t know precise words like “wetsuit”, you can just say “specialist water proof clothing for water pursuits”. Paraphrasing is always good.
- You can talk about things you don’t like as well as what you do like. Or things you would do as well as things you wouldn’t do. It’s a great way to expand your talk.
- This is a hypothetical topic “something you would do”. Make sure you use at least one conditional statement: If I had the chance, I would ….
- Also use at least one present perfect: I have never tried …
More Speaking Cue Cards, Model Answers and Tips
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